City Brew Tours franchise
2023 filing · May 1, 2023GrowingShares sales figures
City Brew Tours at a glance
A guided tour business visiting breweries, distilleries, cideries and taverns, plus private events. At the end of 2022 there were 16 City Brew Tours locations in the US, 4 franchised and 12 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Franchisor
- CBT Ventures, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2019
- 4 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $76K–$100K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $38,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5.5–8.5%
- 5.5% to 8.5% of net revenues, on a scale by annual net revenues, paid monthly, plus 1.5% marketing fees
- Brand fund
- 1.5%
- 1.5% of net revenue, paid monthly
- Agreement length
- 7 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 16
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 4
- Company-owned
- 12
- Change in 3 years
- +3
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 12
- Most in New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania
From CBT Ventures, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
City Brew Tours among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | City Brew Tours | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $87,850 | Costs less than 90% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $38,000 | Lower than 59% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 16 | Fewer than 54% of franchises |
How much a City Brew Tours franchise costs
Opening one City Brew Tours costs an estimated $76,200 to $99,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee (includes starter kit) ($38,000) and passenger vehicle for 15 people ($8,000 to $12,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (includes Starter Kit) | $38,000 | ||
| Passenger vehicle for 15 people | $8,000 | $12,000 | |
| Vehicle Brand Graphics | $1,500 | $2,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing Campaign | $7,500 | ||
| Initial training Program – Travel, meals and board | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Commercial Automobile Insurance – Auto | $2,500 | $10,000 | |
| Tour Operator Liability Insurance or General Liability Insurance, in either case, with host liquor liability | $1,200 | $3,500 | |
| Computer Hardware and Software | $500 | $1,500 | |
| Professional Services | $3,000 | $8,000 | |
| Miscellaneous Costs and Expense | $2,000 | ||
| Table, chair, printer and filing cabinet | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Safety Equipment | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Additional Funds (6 months) | $10,000 | ||
| Total | $76,200 | $99,500 | |
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, page 19
City Brew Tours franchise fee
The franchise fee is $38,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5.5% to 8.5% of net revenues, on a scale by annual net revenues, paid monthly, plus 1.5% marketing fees. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1.5% of net revenue, paid monthly. |
| Transfer Fee | 50% of our then- current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Manager, Replacement Manager or Additional Training | $50 per person, per hour |
| Local Marketing | 5.5% to 8.5% of Net Revenues |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures City Brew Tours publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, page 48
SBA loans to City Brew Tours franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for City Brew Tours franchisees in 2025, $165K in all. None has been paid off or charged off yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2022 / 2020–2022. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | City Brew Tours | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | 0% / +300% | +2.9% / +33% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 25% / 100% | 3.2% / 11% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical entertainment brand is the median of the 41 brands in entertainment franchises with three years of counts.
How City Brew Tours compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, City Brew Tours is the 21st cheapest to open and the 54th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | City Brew Tours | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $76K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $100K | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $38K | $45K | $40K |
| Brand fund | 1.5% | 1.3% | 2% |
| US locations | 16 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 (0) | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 4 (+3) | 10 | +3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 4 (0) | 12 | +1 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, page 53
Where City Brew Tours locations are
At the end of 2022, City Brew Tours had locations in 13 states and territories. The most are in New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
- New Jersey2
- North Carolina2
- Pennsylvania2
- Alabama1
- District of Columbia1
- Iowa1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| District of Columbia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Iowa | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Maryland | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| New York | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, page 54
Who owns City Brew Tours?
City Brew Tours franchises are sold by CBT Ventures, LLC.
From CBT Ventures, LLC’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: CBT Ventures, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
City Brew Tours filings
The figures on this page come from CBT Ventures, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued May 1, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | May 1, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
